Device for arranging cables in a junction box

ABSTRACT

Device for arranging cables in a junction box extractable from a chassis. Between the junction box ( 1 ) and the chassis ( 2 ) there is a conduit ( 5 ) into which the cables ( 7 ) are run from the front viewed from the direction in which the box is extracted from the chassis ( 2 ), whereby the length of the cable ( 7 ) in the chassis ( 2 ) is chosen so that the junction box ( 1 ) can be drawn out of the chassis ( 2 ) for a distance determined in advance.

This application is a national phase of International Application No.PCT/SE02/00480 filed Mar. 14, 2002 and published in the Englishlanguage.

The present invention concerns a device for arranging cables asdescribed in the preamble to Claim 1.

With digital distribution frames (DDF) and similar units, the crossoverequipment plays an important role for terminal work, testing andmaintenance of the unit. As increasingly higher demands are being put onthe said crossover equipment with regard to service accessibility,higher demands are also being put on its design.

Our pending Swedish patent no. 0004730-8 describes crossover equipmentintended for obtaining points for the measurement and testing of signalsin a digital network and which enables the redirection of varioustraffic routes by connecting together different connectors included inthe equipment. Among the advantages obtained with the present crossovermodule is that it offers good flexibility. Practical testing has,however, shown that since all the cables associated with a crossovermodule enter the module bunched from the front, the cables are sotightly packed together that they obstruct each other and make it harderif not impossible or at least difficult to pull out the terminal unitfrom the magazine.

The object of the present invention is to achieve a device that improvesservice accessibility and solves the aforesaid problem, in particular itis endeavoured to avoid entangling the cables and preventing theterminal box from being pulled out of the chassis.

This object is achieved by the device at the terminal box in accordancewith the present invention exhibiting the characteristics specified inthe following claims.

The following is a more detailed description of this invention withreferences to attached drawing, where

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal box in accordance with theinvention,

FIG. 2 exhibits a number of terminal boxes mounted in a chassis, and

FIG. 3 exhibits a detailed view of a terminal box mounted in a chassis.

The terminal box is generally designated 1. A box of this kind normallyforms a junction point for two telecommunication units in a network inwhich several such units contained in a chassis 2 together form acomplete crossover unit for several interlinked networks. The terminalbox 1 is designed as a relatively narrow of flat unit in order to allowseveral such units standing on edge to be placed in rows and side byside in the chassis 2. A printed circuit board, for example, can bearranged in the junction box, to which cables are run inside thejunction box from the front. In order to facilitate extracting thejunction box from the chassis, there is a device for arranging thecables.

This device principally exhibits the form of an essentially rectangularunit containing a frame 3 that at its upper and lower edges exhibitsmeans of holding and arranging 4 from which is formed a conduit 5between the junction box 1 and the chassis 2 intended to arrange thecables. The chassis 2 includes a means of support in the form of achannel 6 situated at the bottom of its front edge and in which channelthe cables 7 rest. From the channel 6 the cables extend into the conduit5 and into an opening 8 arranged at the back of the junction box.

The means of holding and arranging constitutes a protrusion 9,9′extending from an upper and lower frame piece 10,10′ in the frameinteracting with notches 11 arranged in the chassis 2 in the form ofpunched folds on the inside of the chassis 2 bottom 12 and its top piece12′. As shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 9,9′ forms an open conduit 5whereby the lower frame piece 10′ constitutes the upper boundary of theconduit 5. The rear extension of the frame pieces 10,10′ to the chassis2 exhibits a passage 13 formed by two bent lugs 14,14′, between which anopening 8 is bounded. The conduit 5 is used to gather and arrange thecables 7 running to the opening 8. The length of the cables is adjustedso that the junction box can be drawn out of the chassis for a distancedetermined in advance. The passage 13 is intended to facilitate slidingthe junction box 1 in and out of the chassis 2 without the cableshindering the extraction of the junction box from the chassis 2.

The present invention is not limited to the above description and asillustrated in the drawings but can be changed and modified in a numberof different ways within the framework of the idea of inventionspecified in the following claims.

1. A device for arranging cables in a junction box that can be drawn outof a chassis from an inserted position in the chassis, the cables beingconnected between the junction box and chassis, and the junction boxwhen in said inserted position forming with the chassis a conduit thatis open to a front end of the chassis from which the cables extendviewed from the direction the box is drawn out of the chassis and inwhich the cables, going from its end connected to the chassis to its endconnected to the junction box, enter from the front viewed from thedirection the box is drawn out of the chassis and exit from the rear,whereby the cables are received in a channel in the chassis and arrangedin a loop with a length so selected that the junction box can be drawnout of the chassis for a distance determined in advance.
 2. A deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the junction box contains aframe and that interacting means of holding and arranging are arrangedbetween the inside of the frame and the chassis, whereby a conduit formspart of at least one of the said means of holding and arranging.
 3. Adevice in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the means ofholding and arranging contain protrusions on the frame that interactwith the notches made in the chassis.
 4. A device in accordance withclaim 3, characterized in that the conduit is defined between twoprotrusions located at a distance from and extended parallel with eachother.
 5. A device in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that theframe of the junction box contains an opening through which the cablesrun and that to the said opening is arranged a passage for arranging thecables in the opening.
 6. A device according to claim 5, characterizedin that the passage contains two bent lugs that between them bound a gapcommunicating with the opening through which the cables are run.
 7. Adevice according to claim 2, characterized in that the frame contains anupper and a lower frame piece on which the means of arranging issituated, whereby the lugs are formed as extensions of the said framepieces extending backwards towards the chassis.
 8. A device according toclaim 1, characterized in that the junction box contains electricalequipment in the form of a printed circuit board or similar to which thecables are connected.
 9. A device in accordance with claim 3,characterized in that the frame of the junction box contains an openingthrough which the cables run and that to the said opening is arranged apassage for arranging the cables in the opening.
 10. A device accordingto claim 9, characterized in that the passage contains two bent lugsthat between them bound a gap communicating with the opening throughwhich the cables are run.
 11. A device according to claim 10,characterized in that the frame contains an upper and a lower framepiece on which the means of arranging is situated, whereby the lugs areformed as extensions of the said frame pieces extending backwardstowards the chassis.
 12. A device in accordance with claim 1,characterized in that the junction box includes a frame and the cablesexit the frame at the rear thereof.
 13. A device according to claim 12,characterized in that the passage contains two bent lugs that betweenthem bound a gap communicating with the opening through which the cablesare run.
 14. A device according to claim 13, characterized in that theframe contains an upper and a lower frame piece on which the means ofarranging is situated, whereby the lugs are formed as extensions of thesaid frame pieces extending backwards towards the chassis.
 15. A deviceaccording to claim 2, characterized in that the junction box containselectrical equipment in the form of a printed circuit board or similarto which the cables are connected.
 16. A device according to claim 3,characterized in that the junction box contains electrical equipment inthe form of a printed circuit board or similar to which the cables areconnected.
 17. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that thejunction box contains electrical equipment in the form of a printedcircuit board or similar to which the cables are connected.
 18. A deviceaccording to claim 5, characterized in that the junction box containselectrical equipment in the form of a printed circuit board or similarto which the cables are connected.
 19. A device according to claim 6,characterized in that the junction box contains electrical equipment inthe form of a printed circuit board or similar to which the cables areconnected.
 20. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that thejunction box contains electrical equipment in the form of a printedcircuit board or similar to which the cables are connected.